LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - The Lady Rebels will have a sixth player returning for the 2021-22 season, and this time it's one that is very much looking forward to playing for Head Coach Lindy La Rocque for the first time, as guard and Las Vegas native Justice Ethridge will again be on the UNLV roster.

Ethridge missed the 2020-21 season due to COVID-19 concerns and issues that arose due to the pandemic, but is ready to get back on the court and help the Lady Rebels to the top of the Mountain West. "It was a hard year last season, dealing with everything that was going on due to Covid, and it was hard having to sit at home, watching the games only through the TV or computer and knowing that I couldn't be out there to help them, not being around them. I was missing that feeling you have when you're part of a team and with them everyday, and being able to go to the gym everyday to instead being stuck at home." 

However, she also thinks that in a way her year away was also a blessing in disguise, as it made her realize again her love for the game and that she wanted nothing more than to be out on the court playing with her teammates.  

There's no doubt that Ethridge can be a factor on the court, as she was one of the top 6th-mans in the MW her sophomore season in 2019-20, as she was third on the Lady Rebels in scoring with 6.5 points per game. She led the team in three-pointers made with 33 and was a quick defender as well, coming up with 24 steals which was the fourth-best mark. Known since her days at Centennial High as a scorer, Ethridge came up big in a pair of home MW victories when she scored a career-high 22 points in a 17-point win over New Mexico, followed two weeks later by a 19-point performance that included a go-ahead three-pointer in the final 20 seconds over Colorado State.

While the Lady Rebel fans know of Ethridge's stellar play on the court, she will be a new face for several of the UNLV players, as only two players on next year's roster were on the team in 2019-20. "In a way, I'm kind of going in as the new kid on the team. But at the same time it's not nerve wracking, once you get on the court and start playing you build that connection with who's on your team." She also notes that she did play with fellow returnees Keyana Wilfred and Delaynie Byrne in team practices during her sophomore season (Wilfred saw limited minutes as a freshman while Byrne was sitting out her transfer year).

There's another connection for Justice as well, as she is reunited with her former Centennial HS teammate Jade Thomas, as she was a senior for the Bulldogs during Thomas' freshman year. "With Jade, it's nice to play with her already knowing her tendencies on the court and how she likes the ball and where she will be, so it'll be nice to have that connection as well."

Justice is just as excited for the chance to play for La Rocque for the first time. "I'm just excited for this fresh start for next year, and I can't wait to play for this staff, they have a lot of energy and they want to win, while they also care about the players. I'm looking forward to starting over from scratch and being a part of this program under Coach La Rocque."